Read Online Player (What Happens on Campus Book 1) by M L Sparrow - Free Book Online
Authors: M L Sparrow
Ads: Link
lip, Chloe wrapped her arms around her stomach, hugging herself, before nodding without further argument.
Chapter Seven
Having said their goodbyes, they headed towards Willow building. Feeling suddenly nervous in his company, Chloe twisted her fingers together as they walked side by side. Much to her relief, he didn’t ask any questions, in fact, he didn’t even utter a word until they reached her room.
“Mind if I come in?” he asked.
“Well, yeah, actually. I’d like to be alone.”
“Just for a minute.”
Instead of trying to charm her with a smile, his face was solemn and, after a moment, she gave in, stepping aside so that he could enter. Closing the door, she went to sit on her bed, back pressed against the wall, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Without asking, he came to sit close beside her. His arm lifted and slid behind her to curl around her shoulders, urging her to lean against him.
It was weird. Weird but nice, comforting. They’d only known each other three days, yet being with him felt so familiar, so easy, as if they’d been together for years and already had history between them.
“Will you tell me?” he asked so quietly that she almost didn’t hear. “Not now, but one day.”
In response, she snuggled closer, turning her head to rest on his shoulder.
The melancholy had come over her all of a sudden – she refused to call it depression – settling upon her shoulders like a lead blanket. Thinking about home had triggered it. She hadn’t been away long enough to become home-sick, but thoughts of the town she’d grown up in inevitably led to thoughts of the brother who’d grown up with her. And those thoughts brought an onslaught of guilt.
A lump formed in her throat, but she forced it back down. She’d thought these episodes were over, but clearly she was wrong…
Parker’s free hand squeezed her knee, briefly like before at the diner, drawing her out of herself, and she forced her head to lift. They shouldn’t be sitting here like this. It’s wasn’t what friends did, especially not friends who knew nothing about one another. Honestly, the only things she really knew about him were that he was a quarterback and he’d been around the block more times than the milkman.
As if reading her mind, he asked, “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, more sharply than she’d intended.
“It’ll be easy then.”
Shifting to put a little more distance between them, she felt a pang as his arm fell away. Combing her fingers through her ponytail, she frowned as she wondered what to tell him – nothing too personal, or that would lead to more questions.
In the end, she went with the safest options. “My favourite colour’s blue.”
“Damn it, I thought you’d say your favourite colour was the shade of my eyes,” he joked, batting his eyelashes at her. “Come on,” he grinned at her after a moment, reaching out to gently tug at a loose strand of hair, “that was funny.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, trying to muster a smile.
“Don’t bother fakin’ it.” He leant his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as if settling in for a long stay.
“You can go if you want,” she suggested.
“Nah, I’m good here,” he replied without even bothering to open his eyes.
“Surely you have better things to do? You could go hang out with the others, you know, in your own room.”
“I prefer it here.” He wiggled slightly, making himself comfortable, and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“Seriously,” she shoved at his leg, scowling, “get off my bed and leave. I want some alone time. I like to be alone.”
One hazel eye opened to glare at her. “Bullshit. Don’t lie to me.”
For a moment she was too shocked to say anything, and then she felt her cheeks heating. He could read her like a damn book!
Sliding off the bed, Parker stretched his arms up over his head,
Chapter Seven
Having said their goodbyes, they headed towards Willow building. Feeling suddenly nervous in his company, Chloe twisted her fingers together as they walked side by side. Much to her relief, he didn’t ask any questions, in fact, he didn’t even utter a word until they reached her room.
“Mind if I come in?” he asked.
“Well, yeah, actually. I’d like to be alone.”
“Just for a minute.”
Instead of trying to charm her with a smile, his face was solemn and, after a moment, she gave in, stepping aside so that he could enter. Closing the door, she went to sit on her bed, back pressed against the wall, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Without asking, he came to sit close beside her. His arm lifted and slid behind her to curl around her shoulders, urging her to lean against him.
It was weird. Weird but nice, comforting. They’d only known each other three days, yet being with him felt so familiar, so easy, as if they’d been together for years and already had history between them.
“Will you tell me?” he asked so quietly that she almost didn’t hear. “Not now, but one day.”
In response, she snuggled closer, turning her head to rest on his shoulder.
The melancholy had come over her all of a sudden – she refused to call it depression – settling upon her shoulders like a lead blanket. Thinking about home had triggered it. She hadn’t been away long enough to become home-sick, but thoughts of the town she’d grown up in inevitably led to thoughts of the brother who’d grown up with her. And those thoughts brought an onslaught of guilt.
A lump formed in her throat, but she forced it back down. She’d thought these episodes were over, but clearly she was wrong…
Parker’s free hand squeezed her knee, briefly like before at the diner, drawing her out of herself, and she forced her head to lift. They shouldn’t be sitting here like this. It’s wasn’t what friends did, especially not friends who knew nothing about one another. Honestly, the only things she really knew about him were that he was a quarterback and he’d been around the block more times than the milkman.
As if reading her mind, he asked, “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, more sharply than she’d intended.
“It’ll be easy then.”
Shifting to put a little more distance between them, she felt a pang as his arm fell away. Combing her fingers through her ponytail, she frowned as she wondered what to tell him – nothing too personal, or that would lead to more questions.
In the end, she went with the safest options. “My favourite colour’s blue.”
“Damn it, I thought you’d say your favourite colour was the shade of my eyes,” he joked, batting his eyelashes at her. “Come on,” he grinned at her after a moment, reaching out to gently tug at a loose strand of hair, “that was funny.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, trying to muster a smile.
“Don’t bother fakin’ it.” He leant his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as if settling in for a long stay.
“You can go if you want,” she suggested.
“Nah, I’m good here,” he replied without even bothering to open his eyes.
“Surely you have better things to do? You could go hang out with the others, you know, in your own room.”
“I prefer it here.” He wiggled slightly, making himself comfortable, and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“Seriously,” she shoved at his leg, scowling, “get off my bed and leave. I want some alone time. I like to be alone.”
One hazel eye opened to glare at her. “Bullshit. Don’t lie to me.”
For a moment she was too shocked to say anything, and then she felt her cheeks heating. He could read her like a damn book!
Sliding off the bed, Parker stretched his arms up over his head,
Similar Books
